EU in a nutshell

The debate on the EU, particularly in some countries like the UK (but not exclusively), is not always based on facts. The vast majority of the European population does not understand how the EU works, but this is also true for a large part of the media, policy makers and even important campaign organisations.

At EUr Policy, we believe we can’t have a sane debate about the EU without understanding some key facts first. But we also believe the EU can be explained in simple language, without forcing everybody to read long and complicated academic treaties.

So, here are some key facts.

The European Union (EU) was created by intergovernmental treaties between the Member States. These treaties defined a number of institutions, and defined their competence. The EU is a unique institution:

It is a free trade area, with most product-related regulation harmonised

It is an area with free movement of labour

It has many common environmental standards

It has many common social standards

It is attempting to develop a unified foreign policy

EU Member States continue to exist, with their own politics and parliaments. However, in some areas – e.g. laws concerning the trading of goods, also known as ‘Internal Market legislation’- they have very little freedom to go against agreed EU regulation.

Who is in the EU?

The EU is currently made up of 27 countries, making up a total population of just less than 500 million:

Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Greece, Portugal, Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Slovakia, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta
[in order of population size].

In addition, three countries that are in the European Economic Area (EEA) but not the EU – Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein – also apply many EU regulations, including those related to the internal market. However, EEA countries have no vote in EU decision-making processes. Switzerland also has agreements with the EU governing many aspects of regulation.

Throughout its history, the EU has been gradually expanding, with Romania and Bulgaria joining at the start of 2007, discussions are ongoing in relation to Croatia and Turkey, and it is predicted that a number of other former Eastern block countries may soon start talks with the EU. The latest information is on the European Commission’s Enlargement web site.

Next: How are decisions taken in the EU?